Playing Hooky

Day 204
Breakfast was at 9 and I had no problems getting myself ready by then. I love a free breakfast, I ate as much as I could fit inside of myself.

My plan for the day was to visit the Ninth Fort. This is where the Nazi's slaughtered about 50,000 people and a former KGB prison. There is meant to be a memorial there and a museum.

Now, when I get on a bus and I don't know when to get off I tend to just ask the people around me. This time when I asked I was completely ignored. People would just turn their heads. I never knew that I was so threatening. Eventually the bus stopped and everyone got off. I was at the end of the line. After about a 15 minute walk I found the next bus station and waited for the bus. Again I asked for help and no one replied. It was also pouring rain at this point and I decided to just give up.

I got off the bus and tried to figure out how to get to the mall. I figured I'd go and see a movie. Once again I went past it and no one helped. On the way back I passed it as well. I was getting so frustrated. I have never had so many problems getting places. I have never had so many people simply ignore me. I usually get poor-little-foreign-girl-all-alone looks, not disgust. In the region guide that I picked up at the tourist office the mayor wrote that “the citizens of Kaunas are very friendly and tolerant towards the foreign-borns.” I have clearly ended up in a different city.

When I had passed the mall again I got off the bus. I was going to just try it again, but I was on a one way street and needed to look for another bus stop. Somehow I ended up on the main shopping street. There was a Hesburger here and I decided to go. At least I could get some food that I liked! I had issues ordering and somehow ended up with two burgers. They guy behind me had problems ordering as well. His name was Gary and he was from Australia.

Gary and I ate lunch together and then decided to hide from the rain by playing pool and drinking a few beers. I was terrible, but it was nice to chat with someone and get my frustrations out. The gods of travel (or the travel angels as Elaine had put it in Paris) really do come through when you need them the most.

When the rain had stopped we decided to check out the old town that I had visited the day before. In the region guide it says that you will know that you are in the old town from the distinctive 16^th century phone booths. Wow, Lithuania sure was advanced.

After some more chatting and wandering we parted ways. I headed back to my hotel thinking I would spend the evening blogging. Instead Heartbreakers and the 40 Year Old Virgin was on tv. I couldn't pass it up and fell asleep before I could get any work done.